Tales Don't Tell Themselves
by Kelly123
Summary: Ipod Challenge.
1. The Basics

_So this is something totally different for me._

_Different genre, different format, different...you get the picture.  
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_But change is good! I'm doing a challenge of the shuffle songfic sort. Probably has been done before, but i just kind of winged it. I've never done a challenge before but I've always wanted to and I lost my phone this weekend so I've had nothing to do...exciting I know.  
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_Now if anyone wants to follow suit i will be intensely amped to read your take!_

_PS: Title isn't my own creature, its from a funeral for a friend album. No copyright blah, blah, blah._

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**1) Five songs off shuffle (no substitutions!)-**

reason to celebrate-the honorary title

heartbreaker- pat benetar

the monster- lovedrug

almost here-the academy is

letters to you- finch

**2) Five fairy tales-**

Cinderella

Little Mermaid

Beauty and the Beast

Snow White

Sleeping Beauty

**3) Five fics, at 500 words each...exactly.**

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**_Oh I'm so excited...and scared all at the same time._


	2. Reason To Celebrate

_First one out!_

_Honestly, I don't think I had ever listened to this song all the way through before I wrote this, so of course shuffle picked it for me. I suggest you youtube this and the songs to follow it if you don't know them, or else you won't really get how they tie into the fics. I put in a lyric to get things rolling, but don't include that in the final word count. I've never tried to squeeze anything into 500 words, and it wasn't easy, but it's done!_

_Enjoy!_

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REASON TO CELEBRATE-THE HONORARY TITLE

"broken promise on display, disconnected family

if not this would there be, would there be reason to celebrate?"

**P**hillip was the chosen one, that much had been instilled in me from the start and I had never thought to question its validity.

He was the eldest son, the heir to our fathers' throne, and the one who was supposed to fortify the kingdom through his betrothal to the Princess Aurora. He had been schooled in the ways of battle, negotiation, etiquette, charm and deception since he was barely able to stand, all in preparation for the day that he would become ruler of us all.

I remember chiming church bells, high in steeples, and the clatter of peasant footsteps thundering against the cobblestone. I remember my mother's tight jaw and the way my skin burned pink from hot water and vicious scrubbing. I remember the lavish yet horrible affair to christen the tiny babe who was to be my brother's wife, one where curses and fairies both flew. There was smoke and screams and I remember looking to my brother for guidance, but he was lost to me in the confusion. What I don't remember is whether or not I ever laid eyes upon the ill-fated Princess, who was never again seen after that terrible night.

Phillip and I were still boys then, though he was the older of us both by almost eight years and quickly approaching the age of marriage. After it was obvious the Aurora was gone, my parents clambered to find a replacement wife. They soon found her in a meek duchess from across the ocean, a girl who shared my brother's bed for a number of years without producing a son. The girl, still a child herself, gave birth to two sickly daughters who both died before their third birthdays. The priest was summoned, and a divorce declared. When the girl was sent back to her family in shame, her absence was hardly noticeable. Except in the panic that had begun to cloud my mother's eyes.

I tell you this not to scare you, but to warn you. Because for the first time in my life, I find myself doubting my brother. He was to be the hero, but now it seems that task has fallen to me. My sixteenth birthday arrived with the first snowfall, and along with it did the news that we are to be wed once the ground has thawed enough to allow travel between your kingdom and my own.

To be King was never something I yearned for. But now Phillip has taken to the mountains, determined to find the sorceress who cursed his betrothed and avenge our family. Never before though, has a man faced the terrible Maleficent and lived to return. My parents have been broken, and it is up to me to mend them. I am not a great man, but I will strive to be a good husband. I do not ask for you to love me, only for you to ease my family's burden. I await your reply, Briar Rose.

Sincerely, Prince Thomas.

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_My first fairy-tale retelling! This one was sleeping beauty...now what do ya think? Should i keep going?_


	3. The Monster

_I'm kinda feeling this 500 word stuff. I get to be brief and abstract and leave loose ends. Does that make me a lazy writer? Ehh, probably.  
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_I really like this one...hope you do too. Either way, reviews would be lovely!_

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THE MONSTER-LOVEDRUG

"Careful, the monster is round that corner  
And he's waiting for blood tonight"

**I** hear something shatter down the hall and my hand tightens instinctively around the handle of the knife. He screams, and the sound is utterly inhumane. I take a moment to steady myself, breathe deeply, and finish preparing his breakfast.

Dust rises from the ancient carpet, burning my eyes as I pad down to his chamber in the west wing. I feel the accusing stares of his ancestors boring through me from their portraits on the peeling walls and I make a conscious effort to keep my eyes straight ahead on the tray I push before me. The frames clatter from the reverberation as he emits another roar, this one laced with my name.

"BELLE!" He thunders, and I round the corner to finally face him.

"There is no reason to yell, I can hear you quite loudly enough already." I tut, bringing the cart to a halt and lifting the cover off of the food. His breathe comes it ragged pants, and his red eyes observe me murderously from behind steel bars.

"Let me out." He seethes, and I give him an apologetic smile.

"We both know I can't do that Beast. Now be good and eat your breakfast, I spent the whole morning fixing it for you."

His massive paws wrap about the bars and I hear the gnash of metal against his claws as he strains against them. "Don't call me that. I'm no beast!"

"Temper, temper…"

"I'm not the monster here! You are, you and that scientist father of yours!"

"Now, now, is that any way to treat a guest?" I reach into my pocket and pull out the carpule. Carefully, I take the syringe from off of the tray and load it with the chemical. "Hold still beast, there isn't any use in fighting any longer."

"Don't do this Belle. Just let me go, we can make it look like I've escaped. Your father doesn't have to know."

"He'll know." I whisper almost inaudibly. As I advance towards him as he starts to thrash, and more bars descend from the ceiling locking him into place. His roar is mournful now, but he doesn't flinch as I insert the needle into his thick hide, emptying its contents into his bloodstream with practiced ease. I bring my eyes to meet his and feel my stomach flip with the betrayal held within them. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You're too scared to be sorry. You've turned me into a hideous creature and it's the chemist in the cellar you are terrified of."

"I didn't know, when he sent me here I thought we were to be married. I didn't know what he was planning to do to you."I drop my hand from where it still rests against his fur and gather the tray, sliding it through the grate at the bottom of his cage. I feel his eyes on my back as I turn to retreat, and I curse the castle's dust for making my eyes water so.

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_My take on Beauty and the Beast. Belle was supposed to be the bad guy at first, but what can I say, I'm a softy. Let's make Daddy the villian. _


	4. Letters To You

_Third one!_

_I might be the only one reading these, but they're fun to write so I guess that's all that matters..._

_I had a difficult time concocting this one, I several different ideas on where to take this, but none of them were actually...interesting. The finished product came out totally different than I planned, but I like that about it. Two more left!  
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LETTERS TO YOU-FINCH

"I'm writing again these letters to you aren't much, I know  
But I'm not sleeping and you're not here  
The thought stops my heart"

**Day 1:**

The sun burns, the sand itches, the wind stings and so do the bugs. Two hours above water and I already hate being a terrestrial. Walking is awful too.

PS, I'm sorry.

**Day 2:**

Tried to swim back home last night. Guess what, humans can't hold their breath and I almost drowned before I got out of the shallows. Figures their lungs would be underdeveloped, their voices are so low! I found a couple of young ones on the beach, but I couldn't understand what they were saying and I don't think they can even hear me. Utterly useless. Tonight I will practice holding my breath.

PS, Miss you.

**Day 3:**

Stupid human skin is turning all pink and bubbly. It hurts, and I would kill for some of Hesna's special salve for jellyfish burns. Could you do me a favor and smear a bit on the inside of the bottle when you send your reply? Sounds low for a princess, but I'm human now, and above all acts of civility. You wouldn't believe how many man-creatures I've seen relieve themselves on the beach. You don't even want to know what they do to sea urchin burns. Sorry still.

PS, Has my father asked about me?

**Day 6:**

I've missed a few days, life have been a whirlwind lately. Got taken in by a man-creature, but don't worry, he seems harmless enough. I only have a few minutes to steal before his servants come and start fussing at me again. I think they are starting to wonder where all their bottles are disappearing to, so you need to start sending me messages back before they lock the wine cellar.

PS, Miss you… love you... sorry.

**Day 8:**

I think I'm dying here. I miss the water, the fish, my fins, my family, and most of all, I miss you. Meet me tomorrow, please. I can sneak away from the humans around sunset after dinner. I'll be down by shipwreck rock on the east end of the beach, no one ever goes down there so you'll be safe. Just give me a chance to explain myself. You know I'm sorry, but I want to tell you in person.

**Day 9:**

You weren't there Eric, why weren't you there? I told you she was lying, I can't believe you would believe that blasted Sea Witch over me, the one mermaid in the entire ocean you loves you most. I love you Eric, so why would I try to kill you? She was making that up so that she could have you all to herself! Did it work? Is that why you abandoned me? She can't keep me from you Eric, I won't be banished forever. My father loves me, he'll forgive me, I know it.

I'll be back, and you'll love me again, just wait and see.

**Day 872:**

Made it out to the coral today, I'm getting really good at holding my breath!

PS, I'm sorry. I miss you.

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_Okay, so Ariel wasn't supposed to be all crazy stalker girl, but that's how she ended up. My original intention was to just have her being banished from the sea instead of running away from it, but things got all wonky from there. I like her hating land instead of being obsessed with it, what about you?  
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	5. Heartbreaker

_Evidently not everyone likes fairy tales as much as I do...good thing I love them enough for all of us!_

_These things haven't quite been flowing from me as i would have liked them to, but oh well, slow and steady wins the race..._

_Right?  
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_Second to last story here, and with my least favorite fairy tale but i tried to switch it up a bit. I do love the song though, and I took a rather literal interpretation of the title...

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HEARTBREAKER- PAT BENETAR  
"Youre the right kind of sinner,

to release my inner fantasy"

**S**he's a jealous, bitter old hag. She hates me indefinitely- hates that I'm young, hates that I'm pretty, and hates that I'm loved.

Not that a soulless witch like her knows a thing about love. Seriously, I'm not joking about the witch part. I think she must have put my father under a spell to make him marry her. I can't imagine any other reason why he would choose to be bound to such a creature. I suppose she might have been considered pretty in her heyday, but obviously, that was a long time ago.

And now she's my stepmonster, and she thinks that she has some kind of right to tell me what to do. Oh please, like I'm going to listen to her. She says that Dad agrees with her, but I find that hard to believe. My father couldn't care less about where I am or who I'm with, which is fine by me. Our father-daughter relationship is based upon him staying far away on business and sending me pretty things. At least, that's the way things used to work, before she entered the picture.

But here she is, saying I can't dye my hair black or wear red lipstick or see him. Yeah right, you bitter old crone, just watch me. I can and I will do whatever I want. Hunter's right, I'm not a baby and it's not fair for me to be treated like one.

Hunter says she's after me.

Hunter says she's going to get Dad to send me away to boarding school.

Hunter says we need to get away from here. I agree.

I packed my bags a few hours ago, taking Mommy's old silver and jewels so that the monster couldn't get her paws on it like Hunter said she would. I also took some (okay, all) of Dad's secret stash and the key's to the Ferrari, because Hunter says we need a getaway car and some cash for the road. He's thought of everything, got everything all planned out for the two of us. He's meeting me down by the gate to our mansion at two, well after she's asleep. The servants saw me leaving, sure, but they usually do. They have no idea I'm not coming back this time.

Oh I can't wait to get out of here! Everything is going to be so perfect once I'm away from this place. Hunter and I are going to get married, settle down, and be together forever. I'll never have to deal with the monster or my Dad or any of the uppity gripes I've had to put up with my whole life. We'll start a new life now, one with just the two of us, and it's going to be absolutely perfect.

Here he comes now, looking even more gorgeous than usual in the moonlight. The light's reflecting off some kind of box in the passenger seat. Looks a little big for an engagement ring, I wonder what's in it?

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_I could never get over snow white's whiney voice (obviously, from the disney version), so i decided to make her a whiney girl...and the box...is to put her heart in after he kills her. He's the huntsman! Obvious much?  
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	6. Almost Here

_Parting is such sweet sorrow..._

_Or, you know, something like that._

_Come on, these are fairy tales, not Shakespeare, okay?_

_The last one, and (i must admit) a bit of relief. Writing in a new category is intimidating...

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ALMOST HERE- THE ACADEMY IS_  
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"So listen up.  
I worked in daylight feeding fashion to housewives.  
For just this once, I'll take my chances on truck stops and state lines"

**S**he really _does_ look beautiful, but that has more to do with soap and water and less to do with magic than I should admit. Even the faint shimmering of fairy dust lingering around her pales in comparison to the breathtaking glow the scullery maid is emanating. Something else is shining through her eyes as she practices a low, royal curtsy in front of the mirror, stealing shy glances at herself in disbelief. I don't see it often enough, but I know what it is. It's purity, compassion, kindness and humility. It's everything that makes a good person.

Everything that makes a good princess.

The prince will surely fall for her tonight, he would be a fool not to. Granted, such characteristics do tend to run in noble blood, but this one seems to be the exception. Yes, tonight their eyes shall meet across the dance floor, her heart will skip a bit and his breath will lodge in his throat as they tumble swiftly and madly into love. The two will be wed, the kingdom will rejoice, and they will live happily ever after.

Sigh.

I might have helped a hundred couples find their way to true love, but every story is still as beautiful as the first. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic. That was the reason I chose this occupation. After I finished primary magic, there were dozens of careers to choose from in advanced training, but godmother is really the only thing I ever considered. I figured it would be a dream job, all dresses and dancing and the like, and don't get me wrong, for the most part it is. It's just…well, I never figured that I would be putting so much effort into helping others fall in love, that I wouldn't get a chance to do so myself.

Not to say that I'm bitter though, far from it. I've made a life out of living vicariously through my goddaughters, and helping them find happiness has almost made up for not having a love of my own. I do my job thoroughly, researching my daughters potential suitors to ensure a perfect match and therefore a perfect life.

But…

Oh dear, I just don't know! Something happened last night when I was watching him at the palace, something I can't explain! He just…he struck something inside of me, a feeling I've helped come to existence so many times before and yet it was completely foreign when it was happening to me.

I love him, and I just can't help it. I know he should love her…but I simply can't let that be. She's infatuated with her reflection, so much that she doesn't noticed the attic door swinging shut behind me, the lock clicking softly into place. I still hear her melodious humming as I float down the rickety staircase, my modest robes shifting into a gown fitting of a prince's wife.

I'm done with always being a bridesmaid, it's time to be a bride.

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_Our time is almoooooooooooooooooooost, our time is almost here!_


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